William Mellenthin Book

$35.00

A Birdhouse in Paradise: William Mellenthin and the San Fernando Valley Ranch Homes

In the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s housing developments began peppering the available land outside of Los Angeles. Affordable, family-friendly communities like the San Fernando Valley initiated an exodus to the suburbs. It was in the Valley that designer-builder William Mellenthin developed his singular brand of cozy, charming home which became known as the Mellenthin Birdhouse ranch home—so called because they featured a cupola or dovecote built prominently into the roof. Architect, author and historian, Alan Hess, describes why Mellenthin’s homes were so coveted: “the dovecote, or bird house, (Mellenthin) incorporated prominently into gables facing the public street reinforced the straight-shooting, unpretentious utilitarianism and friendly rural values” of the times.

Gathering information from original Mellenthin homeowners, articles, brochures, as well as the Mellenthin family, A Birdhouse in Paradise reveals many facts and details about this industrious and influential man. The volume features rare photographs and documents (many never seen before) that illustrate a young, burgeoning San Fernando Valley as it became “the new suburban paradise,” as well as floorplans and photographs of the iconic, Ranch Home.

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“The architectural history of Southern California’s San Fernando Valley has often been ignored or denigrated. In A Birdhouse in Paradise: William Mellenthin and the San Fernando Valley Ranch Homes, author and designer Chris Lukather has gone a long way toward remedying this unfairly neglected legacy. His well-researched and lavishly illustrated book is not only informative, it is fun.”

Customer Reviews

June 6, 2018I was interested in the history of the architecture of homes that I grew up with in the valley. Beautiful pictures and interesting story. Now I know why the quirky add on to the ranch style were done. Highly recommend

March 13, 2018I love this book! A rare find about an often overlooked contribution to Southern California architecture. This book offers great insight into a post WW2 storybook chapter of Americana that played out in the developing San Fernando Valley suburbs of Los Angeles. Great photos, both new and archival. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Southern California history or architecture.

Description

A BIRDHOUSE IN PARADISE: William Mellenthin and the San Fernando Valley Ranch Homes

A book on the life and work of William Mellenthin

Written by Chris Lukather, Foreword by Alan Hess

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In the 1950s and ’60s housing developments began peppering the land outside of Los Angeles. Affordable, family-friendly communities like the San Fernando Valley initiated an exodus to the suburbs. It was in the Valley that designer-builder William Mellenthin developed his singular brand of cozy, charming home. They became known as the Mellenthin Birdhouse ranch home—so called because they featured a cupola or dovecote built prominently into the roof. Architect, author and historian, Alan Hess, describes why Mellenthin’s homes were so coveted. “The dovecote, or bird house, (Mellenthin) incorporated prominently into gables facing the public street reinforced the straight-shooting, unpretentious utilitarianism and friendly rural values of the times.”

Gathering information from original Mellenthin homeowners, articles, brochures, as well as the Mellenthin family, A Birdhouse in Paradise reveals many facts and details about this industrious and influential man. The volume features rare photographs and documents (many never seen before) that illustrate a young, burgeoning San Fernando Valley as it became “the new suburban paradise,” as well as floorplans and photographs of the iconic, Ranch Home.